Four Weddings

Last month Haidee and I were able to travel back to the USA to attend my cousin Josiah’s wedding. 

Josiah and his brother, Nathan, are my closest cousins.  Since our moms are twin sisters, we often like to tell people that we’re half-brothers.  Even though we lived in different parts of the country growing up, my sister Rachel and I would visit Nathan and Josiah at least once a year during summer vacation, often staying with them for over a month at a time.  They were my best friends as I was growing up.  

The four of us at Rachel and Eric's wedding (in Ann Arbor, MI)

Phoenix, AZ (Nathan and Josiah’s hometown) is like a second home for me.  As we’ve grown older, graduated from college, and moved away to different places we still return back to Arizona to be together as family.  It was here that Nathan and his wife, Heather got married in 2009.  Haidee and I were married in 2011 in Arizona.  And just one year later, Josiah and his wife Rachel were married at Christ Church Lutheran in Phoenix.

Me, Nathan, and Josiah at my wedding in 2011

The three of us at Josiah's wedding last month

Josiah and I, Rachel, and Nathan have even managed to have all four of our wedding anniversaries in the span of one week!  They are Dec 29^th, Dec. 30^th, Dec. 31^st, and Jan 3^rd respectively. 

Dec. 29, 2005     Jan. 3, 2009       Dec.30, 2011          Dec.29,2012

The day after Josiah and Rachel’s wedding all eight of us (siblings and spouses) were together at my Mom’s house, enjoying this new dynamic of family members for the very first time.  As the afternoon came to a close and we said our good-byes we took this picture.

(Left to Right) Haidee, Me, Eric, Rachel, Josiah, Rachel, Heather, Nathan

Goodbyes are always bittersweet.  As kids we could always say, “See you next summer. . .or at Christmas!”  Today, with Rachel and her husband living in France (soon to be Africa), Haidee and I in Japan, and Josiah and Nathan in separate locations in the USA, we don’t know when all eight of us will be together again.  It could be a very long time. 

It’s a blessing to know that we have even more than our family ties and our close friendships to keep us together.  We’re also connected in a relationship with God’s son, Jesus Christ.  As a part of His family, we know that, no matter what the future may hold, we will never need to say our last goodbyes.  A time will come when we’ll all be together for eternity.

I’d like to close with a memorable quote by C.S. Lewis, as recorded by Sheldon Vanauken in his book, “A Severe Mercy.”

“At all events,' Lewis said with a cheerful grin, 'we'll certainly meet again, here - or there.' Then it was time to go, and we drained our mugs. When we emerged on to the busy High with the traffic streaming past, we shook hands, and he said: 'I shan't say goodbye. We'll meet again.' Then he plunged into the traffic. I stood there watching him. When he reached the pavement on the other side, he turned round as though he knew somehow that I would still be standing there in front of the Eastgate. Then he raised his voice in a great roar that easily overcame the noise of the cars and buses. Heads turned and at least one car swerved. 'Besides,' he bellowed with a great grin, 'Christians NEVER say goodbye!'”